We process applications on a rolling admissions basis, meaning that we review and evaluate applications as they are submitted to our program rather than waiting until the deadline to begin the review process. We also award merit-based funding on a rolling basis, so it is to your advantage to apply early, as the availability of specific funding opportunities declines as the application season progresses.

Please use these recommended deadlines as guidelines for completing your application. Within two to four weeks of submitting a complete application, including all required supplementary materials, you will hear from the Admissions Committee regarding the outcome of its initial review.

Application deadlines for 2012-2013 (Application will be live on July 15, 2012)

• October 15
  As a reflection of our commitment to action-learning and global experiences as part of our MBA program, individuals who apply by the October 15 deadline, are offered admission to the program and matriculate as students will receive a $1,000 grant that can be used during their time in the Fisher MBA program to support professional or academic travel, such as study abroad/global immersion and conferences.
• December 1
  Applicants who submit by this deadline and are offered admission to the program will automatically be considered for all merit-based funding opportunities available for MBA students. Some award packages are exclusively reserved for applicants who submit by December 1, so we encourage you to submit early if funding is a strong consideration in your selection process.
• January 5
• March 5
• April 15*

 *Applications will be accepted after April 15th on a space-available basis.

Essay

The new application for 2013 will be ready to go in mid-July and we will begin reviewing applications at the beginning of August. Essay content will not be different for this year, but there is one major change – we will only have TWO required essays instead of THREE and you will have a choice for your second essay. The application instructions will look like this for the essay section:

Essay #1 – Shaping Your Vision

Every year Fisher College’s Full-Time MBA program admits a select group of talented professionals with demonstrated potential to become successful business leaders in an increasingly competitive, global environment. Why do you want to earn an MBA degree in general and a Fisher College MBA in particular? How will Fisher specifically assist you in achieving your individual potential? As part of your response, include a brief summary of your professional accomplishments to date. If you have not held a full-time job or are still in college, let us know about your leadership accomplishments in a school, internship, or extracurricular context.

Maximum words: 750

Essay #2 – CHOICE*
For your second essay, choose either Focusing on Leadership or Discovering You.

Focusing On Leadership*

One of Fisher’s strengths is its dedication to developing leaders. Listed below are 10 attributes that characterize great leaders. Please select the two criteria that best describe your strengths and provide us with concrete evidence to support your choices.

Write an essay for each of the two characteristics you select, describing situations in which you exemplified these leadership traits. Please title each of your essays with the specific trait (e.g. ‘endurance’) that you have chosen for yourself. As part of your essay response, you may include a digital photo or link to content (e.g. blog, video clip, website, etc.) if that content helps to illustrate the attribute(s) you have chosen.

• Integrity
• Empathy
• Curiosity
• Endurance
• Creativity
• Global awareness
• Passion
• Vision
• Self Awareness
• Communication and interpersonal skills

Maximum words: 500 per attribute

Discovering You*

As a Fisher College MBA student, you get the best of both worlds: the up-close and personal feel of a small program combined with the resources and opportunities offered by a major research university. As an individual participant, you will play a key role in shaping our culture. Consequently, we would like to learn more about who you are and the unique characteristics you will contribute to the Fisher College community. Provide an honest description of yourself outside your professional context, stressing the personal characteristics you believe to be your strengths and weaknesses, along with the factors that have most influenced your development to date.

Maximum words: 750

We are also adding the opportunity for you to include supplemental information within the online application module. In the past, if you wanted to share information with the Admissions Committee that was not covered in another section of the application, you had to email it to us separately. This year you will see the following section:

Supplemental Information (Optional)
Please feel free to provide a statement concerning any information you would like to add to your application that you have not addressed elsewhere.

Maximum words: 250

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of Recommendation enable the MBA Admissions Committee to gain further insight into your personality, your character, and your potential for success in the MBA program and beyond.  

Requirements

Please select at least two individuals to serve as your references. A third letter of reference is optional.  At least one of those recommending you needs to be from a professional context. We encourage you to choose individuals to recommend you who can attest to your scholarship, professional development, leadership potential, and personal character.   

We suggest that you ask these individuals to use our online recommendation system. If you decide to use the traditional paper recommendation letter, those recommending you should complete the paper reference form; attach a separate letter which is written and signed on academic or business letterhead; seal the content in the enclosed envelope; sign across the seal; and return it to you. Please advise individuals providing recommendations to use a plain envelope, if sent by mail.

Resume

A detailed resume or curriculum vitae gives the MBA Admissions Committee a snapshot of your professional and academic career and serves as an indication of how well you are able to sell yourself on paper.  

Since our Career Management Office is represented on the Admissions Committee, the resume also gives the us an idea of how you would present yourself to a prospective employer and helps them evaluate your potential for successful placement upon completion of the Fisher MBA program.

Requirements

Please include all of the following in your resume, if applicable, and account for the time since the beginning of your university education.

• Your contact information (full name, mailing address, phone number, and email)
• Employment history (with details of primary duties and accomplishments in each position held)
• Extracurricular and/or community activities
• Languages (read, spoken, and/or understood)
• Military record